Someone please explain to me the mentality of Pitt fans and posters. This applies to both football and basketball. No matter what they do there is always people -not one person-with negatives. On a cardiac hill poll almost half of posters/voters said Pitt will lost both Louisville and duke? Where is the faith ? As a fan you should always believe in your team and that it will succeed. Not we can't recruit this kid, he can't coach, we suck, etc. And please don't give me the "keeping it real " or " it's a poster board " or I'm a homer, or yinzer" excuses. That's old and lame and doesn't excuse all the negative posts. A lot of you are alumnus, which I am not but have been a Pitt fan all my life, and you still have no faith. FYI no faith equals no support. Two things I have always said is 1. if it's that bad and you feel that way about the team, coach, etc, then stop posting on the board and stop being a (so called) fan. No one is forcing you. Dixon is not going anywhere unless he decides to so maybe if your unhappy with him then you should leave.2. And this will kill many of you. But fan is short for fanatic. So as much as we talk about PSU, sorry folks but they got it right. No matter how absurd or skewered, or wrong their view may be they still support their team-religiously. Hence why some call it a cult. What happened there is one of the worse things you could ever do in life, and they should have received the death penalty, yet their fans stayed, supported and defended them. Many Pitt fans and posters will not do the same for a lot less. I know I'm not a crowd favorite here and will not receive may responses( I know this from past posts I have made with no response), and very few positive ones. but guess what I will be watching todays game and win or lose will still be a TRUE fan tomorrow. I've been riding this bus for years through the good, bad and ugly not jumping on and off the band wagon. So someone please explain the mentality. Because in my book being a sports fan is just like family you might not always like them but you show always love them. If you cant do that or always have something negative to say then leave them alone.
Poster mentality
- Thread starter oldpantherfan
- Start date
Loving the team doesn't mean you cannot see the warts. I am as positive as anyone, and if I was forced to bet the next two games, I'd bet 0-2. My heart is hoping for 2-0, but I know it's not likely. We are who we are. Some will come on here and act all butt hurt if we go 0-2, but in reality, that shouldn't shock anyone at this point.
Each game is slightly under 50% odds, so winning either wouldn't be a shock, but I agree that I'd bet 0-2 as well.
It seems to me that it makes some frustrated people feel better to whine or rant on a message board. I can't say for sure, though, because I personally don't feel that way.
As a fan, winning is really fun and enjoyable. As for losing, I'm not playing, coaching or getting a paycheck, so I just look forward to the next win.
As a fan, winning is really fun and enjoyable. As for losing, I'm not playing, coaching or getting a paycheck, so I just look forward to the next win.
Paragraphs and especially bullet points since you delineated them by number would help. Just a helpful hint.
I admire your loyalty and positivity, and Pitt needs fans like that. I am basically the same way, but also keep my head ahead of my heart in realistic discussion with others . I think Pitt is capable of winning both and my heart says they will, but, I realize it will be tough. Beating Duke may be more likely than Louisville because of matchups, and Pitt just hasn't been successful against the Cards lately. I am hoping for 2-0, will be happy with 1-1, but will not be devastated if 0-2. I am the eternal optimist and am always hoping Pitt wins every game, but if you watch any sport, you realize only a very small %age do, so if Pitt plays well and is competitive against the bluebloods, I tolerate it. The Vegas line is only 1.5, so they think Pitt has a decent chance tonite. Let's all hope Pitt is up to it. HTP.
I agree. In addition, all I want is for our guys to play smart basketball as a team, and play hard on both ends. If they do this, then I am fine with a win or loss.
I look at every situation with optimism, and always in my head think of scenarios that will lead to Pitt winning the next game - no matter the sport.
Even when we're underdogs, upsets happen.... so I pull for those.
I think you did touch on something that I've found to be true on this site and others, though.
Those of us that have a Pitt degree.... that spent our hard-earned (or our parents' hard-earned) money to go to this school and graduate.... tend to have a more positive view of the team and coaches. This isn't a hard and fast rule (as you yourself prove by being positive, despite not being a grad) but I find it to be generally true.
The most negative posters.... the board "jackals" as some of us call them... tend not to be graduates of the University. They exaggerate the warts and minimize the advantages of the university.
With about 80% accuracy, I can guess which posters are graduates of the school vs which ones are just fans by the tone of what they type.
Even when we're underdogs, upsets happen.... so I pull for those.
I think you did touch on something that I've found to be true on this site and others, though.
Those of us that have a Pitt degree.... that spent our hard-earned (or our parents' hard-earned) money to go to this school and graduate.... tend to have a more positive view of the team and coaches. This isn't a hard and fast rule (as you yourself prove by being positive, despite not being a grad) but I find it to be generally true.
The most negative posters.... the board "jackals" as some of us call them... tend not to be graduates of the University. They exaggerate the warts and minimize the advantages of the university.
With about 80% accuracy, I can guess which posters are graduates of the school vs which ones are just fans by the tone of what they type.
The gamblers are a subset. I don't bet on games, but a lot of posters seem to be quite fascinated with the 'lines". When Pitt is playing, they get frantic if the game is going against their bets. Makes it hard to stay positive when the Panthers play well, and some of them disappear. I won't read a game thread until after the game...too busy watching to boot the magic box. Lots of manic-depressive stuff....good for a chuckle on occasion.
My continued optimism stems from remembering how bad things have been at times, and that at least we're not embarrassing very often. Last year's late collapse was tough....I'm hoping there won't be a repeat.
You used to have a quote saying "These are the good old days".
Those of us older than say 30-35 definitely understand that. We have strong memories of the later Evans years and the Willard years. We remember the old Eastern Eight days when we were thrilled to be a 10-seed playing Pepperdine for the right to get slaughtered by North Carolina.
Pitt has been to 25 NCAA tournaments in 80+ years. 12 of those are in the past 14 years. Too many Pitt fans want to throw away the guy who got us most of those on the hope that we'll do better.
They're risking turning us into BC or Wake.... on the hopes that we'll get slightly better than making the dance 12/14 years and with high seeds in 8 of those.
Ironically, they are also the ones that say Pitt could attract a roster of NBA prospects and a $10M/yr coach if only the AD cared more.
I have 3 degrees from Pitt and I have no problem calling out the teams, the coaches and the admin. when they deserve it. I think the correlation you draw is completely bogus. Group think is for the dummies at State College.
We have not had fans clamoring for elite recruits or the top coaches in the game to replace Dixon?
I interpreted your post as endorsing the position that non Pitt grads are more critical and demanding as regards Pitt athletics than Pitt alums. Don't believe that's true.
In the words of Sly and the Family Stone it is called Different Strokes for Different Folks. There are billions of people on earth and every single one has a unique opinion and outlook on particular things. Human nature no matter how frustrated some people make you.
I endorse the position that people that didn't graduate from Pitt have views that are simultaneously unrealistically high and low given how the university compares to peer institutions. I endorse the position that Pittsburghers who didn't go to Pitt (or college at all) are more likely to treat the team with a "pro" mindset, that translates poorly to a college athletic department.
I reall
I have no understanding of why negative posting bothers people? You go to Kentucky's website after they went 38-0 and then dropped the semifinal to finish the season at 38-1 and there was negative posting there too I'm sure. Teams are ranked #1 and then only win by 10 against a bad team and people are pissed, so what? It's JUST CONVERSATION, why does it bother you? It's RETARDED to say that a true fan only posts positive things, Boston College is like 0-16 in the ACC this year, I assume they have TRUE FANS too, do you expect them to never post negative?
I have no understanding of why negative posting bothers people? You go to Kentucky's website after they went 38-0 and then dropped the semifinal to finish the season at 38-1 and there was negative posting there too I'm sure. Teams are ranked #1 and then only win by 10 against a bad team and people are pissed, so what? It's JUST CONVERSATION, why does it bother you? It's RETARDED to say that a true fan only posts positive things, Boston College is like 0-16 in the ACC this year, I assume they have TRUE FANS too, do you expect them to never post negative?
A. I don't consider you a "jackal". You are a bit of a pain in the ass sometimes, but I don't doubt your Pitt fandom.
B. I also said 80%. It's not a hard and fast rule.
If you've studied psychology and are familiar with the concept of cognitive dissonance you see that the concept applies here. Narrow minded and insecure people feel threatened by and are disturbed by biewpoints that differ from their own-simple as that. That's what's really at play.
As regards, point A, that's precisely what you referred to me as in your post following the Syracuse game on some bogus theory that I hadn't posted near the end of the game because I was upset that Pitt had won. In fact, I had posted positive things on the pay board before and after the game. You can be a loudmouth idiot at times harping on this platform that there's no room for any criticism of things Pitt(unless it comes from you)-get over yourself!
Just have someone create the only...just positive for Pitt Board...be realistic and have an ability to intelligently think about the situation. There are obviously people on here that are not true fans, but some people who get upset in the heat of the moment are the same people that believe Pitt will win every game...there's good passion, over reaction, some stupidity, but my gosh don't make this a delusional board. I hope we win the rest of our games and at tip believe we will, but to not deal with reality...How do you think BC and St. John's fanatics are dealing with their season?
I don't agree with everything you said. example ...... PSU fans stayed with the program. There were a lot of empty seats during fb season. But the post was mostly correct. IMO. Especially the last two sentences.
You're pretty much spot on with this. Need proof? Check out the PPF FB page. Most of the insanely over-the-top negative ranters are not Pitt grads.
The good news is that luckily the world needs ditch diggers too.
